Maldives: Introduction

When you think of the Maldives you picture up blue seas, white sand and a perfect, quiet paradise – and you wouldn’t be wrong! Nestled in the Indian Ocean, these 1,190 tiny islands form 26 coral atolls. Just over 200 are habited, and only 87 are exclusive tourist islands. They can only be reached by boat and all supplies have to be shipped in to each island, thus providing a wide variety of foods to hand but unfortunately making any extras like alcohol, expensive. The Maldives are definitely ‘get away from it all’ islands, and you won’t find any throbbing nightclubs here

The moment you step off the seaplane, dhoni or speedboat which brings you from the capital, Male to your selected island, you know that you have found true paradise. Each island in the Maldives offers the similar dream, but each one has its own unique charm and appeal.
Life moves slowly in the Maldives and a day can consist of as little or as much as you desire. Maybe you’re into diving, in which case you’ll be in heaven in the Maldives, as being rated one of the top dive sites in the world, without donning no more than a snorkel you’re guaranteed to see numerous types of fish and maybe the odd reef shark in the shallow house reefs alone. Venture further out into mid ocean and you will encounter the larger fish such as shark, manta rays and tuna. There’s something for every level of diver in the Maldives.

There are so many other things to do in the Maldives besides lazing on the beach. You could try your hand at big game fishing, or maybe go on a dolphin spotting trip. You could visit the Maldives own culture centre, located on Dhangethi Island, to experience how local life used to be. Local women will cook you lunch and then you can visit a school and learn about dhoni building. And if you really want to get away from it, why not visit one of the uninhabited islands for a real Robinson Crusoe adventure.

People tend to go to the Maldives for either the diving, the relaxation or to find paradise, and with such well catered tourist resorts you can have all of this and more…